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Photo: Alan_D / Flickr

Ever wondered how the sun’s heat reaches us across such a huge expanse of empty space? It’s an interesting question since there’s nothing there to conduct the solar energy. The answer is: thermal radiation. Thermal radiation requires no direct physical contact between an object and the source of the heat. We owe our ability to cook food in a microwave oven to the process of radiation. Heat radiation makes standard cooking possible. Everything emits radiation all of the time. (more…)

Photo: PortocalaMecanica – Bucharest CycleChic / Flickr

If you’re a lover of art, music or architecture, Hungary’s elegant capital should be on your travel wish-list. Once you arrive at the airport, it should take about half an hour to get to Budapest by taxi, depending on the time of day and traffic conditions. You’ll need to carry Hungarian forint with you as Euros aren’t widely accepted. Once in the capital, you can get around by metro, railway and buses. Read on for things to do. (more…)

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Broccoli alla parmigiana or broccoli and parmesan cheese bake is a good starter for an Italian meal or as an accompaniment to a meat or fish dish. The ingredients required include broccoli, olive oil, onion, garlic, tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and dried white breadcrumbs. You can easily create a brinjal and parmesan cheese bake by replacing the broccoli with sliced brinjals. Allow for 45 minutes of preparation time and 40 minutes of cooking time. (more…)

Photo: antoniofurno / Flickr

Chocolate charlotte is quick to make if you have some ready-made chocolate mousse. You will also need some sugar syrup and some ladyfinger biscuits. The chocolate charlotte is made by lining sugar-water dipped biscuits around the sides of a mould. The chocolate mousse is then poured into the centre of the mould and covered with biscuits. The top of the charlotte is then secured with two plates before it is wrapped in cling film and refrigerated for three hours. (more…)

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If you’re a writer and you’re wondering which job boards are worth bothering with, read on for some tips. Guest blogger Estela Go shares a list of the 10 best job boards on Quips and Tips for Writers. Her recommendations include Helium, Freelance Writing Gigs, Women on Writing, Freelance Writing, Media Bistro, Freelance Careers, Prospect Solution, Online Writing Jobs, Problogger and Journalism Jobs where you can post your resume. Here we discuss four of these job boards for freelance writers. (more…)

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Pickled herrings are a popular appetiser, especially in Germany and Holland where fresh herrings are preserved in barrels after being salted. Once they’ve been preserved, they are soaked to remove excess salt. These pickled herrings take about 48 hours to soak, three-quarters of an hour to prepare and up to 4 days to pickle. Rollmops can be served with rye bread and butter, as well as onion rings, pickled cucumbers and marinade. This recipe will serve six. (more…)

Photo: epSos.de / Flickr

Losing a parent or a loved one is always difficult but the way the next of kin copes will depend on many different factors. Dr Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, expert on the subjects of death and dying, believed that the relationship between the child and the parent, as well as the age of the deceased parent and the child, plays a significant role. The child’s bereavement period will also be affected by loved ones giving him or her permission to mourn. (more…)

Photo: herrea / Flickr

This king’s cake recipe requires a bit of preparation as you will need confectioner’s cream, almond cream and puff pastry. Once you have these ingredients at hand, it shouldn’t take you much longer than half an hour to prepare. You can place the uncooked and undecorated galette on a plate to harden before placing it in a freezer bag. Then when you are ready to bake it, glaze it and decorate it and bake it in its frozen state for 55 minutes. (more…)

Photo: truthwhispers / Flickr

If you can feel the rhythm of your heartbeat, you’ve got everything that it takes to start drumming. Drumming gets you in sync with yourself while connecting you with others. As Paul Pearsall put it in The Heart’s Code, ‘Our heart is the metronome of our body’s biorhythm, and health happens when we are in rhythm within ourselves, synchronized with other living systems and moving to our preset beat rather than trying to respond to the driving beat of the stressful outside world.’ (more…)

Photo: Stock.Xchng

Do you lack motivation, energy and drive? Are you tired of your life as it is? If so, perhaps you need to find something to do that excites and inspires you. Even a rough idea may be enough to give you a new sense of purpose and focus. This may be all that’s required to re-ignite your ambition or re-energise you. If you’re not sure of what you want, read on for some ideas. The secret is to choose goals that are achievable. (more…)